Former Dictator. He was the canny anti-communist general who ruled Paraguay for decades with a blend of force, guile and patronage before his ouster in 1989. Stroessner seized power in a 1954 coup and through fraud and repression, held it for 35 years to become one of Latin America's longest-ruling strongmen. Finally ousted by his own generals, Stroessner remained hated by many in Paraguay, where he was accused of repression and human rights violations, even though some stalwarts credit him for big public works projects that modernized the country. After his ouster, Stroessner lived as a recluse in Brazil, where his asylum status made extradition impossible. Neighbors said they rarely saw him leave his house on the shore of Lake Paranoa in Brasilia. Stroessner died after contracting pneumonia following a hernia operation. (bio by: Ron Moody)